Dozens of people gathered outside LaLonde’s Market and Bushey’s Bar today as a helicopter lifted heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment onto the roof of Dow Kokam’s new Midland battery cell production facility on Saginaw Road.

They watched Oregon-based Erickson Air-Crane’s massive helicopter, called an S-64 Air-Crane, as it lifted 18 HVAC units in 46 lifts.

David Pankratz, vice president of manufacturing for Dow Kokam, said having the equipment installed is the next milestone in the Midland facility’s construction. The facility is about 70 percent complete, with dry room construction almost finished on the inside of the 400,000-square-foot facility.

It was a little after noon when the helicopter’s blades started turning. Workers on the ground quickly connected each item and others on the roof disconnected it in a matter of minutes.

Across the street by LaLonde’s, Midland resident Andy Stark watched with his fiancee, coworker and the coworker’s companion.